Cardinals for Julie

This gourdhouse was commissioned for Julie, who grew up in northern Ohio, on the banks of the Sandusky River, in the small town of Tiffin, Ohio. At the top of the gourd is a replica of a 1941 glass pattern from the now defunct Tiffin Glass Company, once a thriving industry in the area. Also featured: the cardinal, state bird of Ohio, and the large white trillium, state wildflower of Ohio. I enjoyed listening to episodes of the Cincinnati-based podcast "Nature Guys" while I worked on this. From one episode, I learned about the proliferation of wildflowers that occurs in the deciduous forests of Ohio during the spring. This inspired a floral abundance in the design, which includes swamp milkweed, purple aster, golden ragwort, white baneberry, (aka doll's eyes), marsh marigold, lady fern, ashy sunflower, chicory, Virginia bluebell, sulfur cinquefoil, golden ragwort, wild geranium, Philadelphia fleabane, and winterberry.

I approach each gourdhouse this way - an opportunity to learn more about the flora and fauna selected by the person who is ordering the gourd. Often, gourdhouses are ordered as gifts for loved ones. I use the details shared by the customer to create a design that reflects what is important to them - whether it is the glass pattern from a factory in their hometown, a variety of rose that their grandmother grew, a bird that often visits them in their backyard, or a flower that grows in a forest which holds special meaning for them.